


Papa Will Make You Better

by Emba_N



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Experiment Steve Harrington, Gen, Human Experimentation, Injury, Overworking, Protective Jim "Chief" Hopper, Protective Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has Powers, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:06:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26549458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emba_N/pseuds/Emba_N
Summary: Steve Harrington was killed in the fire of Starcourt Mall, just like Chief Jim Hopper. Or at least that’s what the town of Hawkins, Indiana thinks.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Martin Brenner & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington & Jim "Chief" Hopper, Steve Harrington & The Party
Comments: 11
Kudos: 110





	1. They Know

**Author's Note:**

> Hi peeps. I just wanted to tell you all some stuff about this set up cause I changed some stuff. So Steve is 16 because I want him to be so that means he would be 11 when he escaped from the lab and El would have been around 1 year old when he did. Ok, I'm done up here.  
> Happy Reading!

Steve didn’t really know what happened after the Russians punched him into unconsciousness but he does know that they know. Oh shit. They know. 

Steve didn’t hear what they had said but he felt his shoulder and side collide into the cool metal floor harshly, sending shards of pain up his already busted side.

Steve laid there for a few minutes before he actually made an attempt to open his eyes. Once he did he immediately closed them from the harsh lights bombarding his pained brain.

Once Steve got used to the light he blinked around the room and he immediately looked at his left wrist and swore.

The binds around his wrist must’ve rubbed the makeup covering it off and they had to have seen it. The 007 that was permanently written on his body, keeping him tied to the lab. So they brought him into a small room with nothing inside. Steve squirmed around on the floor and tried to get a better look at the door.

Steve took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he opened them and focused all his energy on the door’s lock. He willed the gravity around the lock to bend inwards. To break. But after a few seconds pain flared in his head and he was forced to stop.

He breathed deeply as he dropped his head back onto the ground and groaned, from frustration and pain. 

————

Steve really didn’t know how long he had been laying there but at some point he heard sirens start going off. There was yelling and Steve would always remember that yell from that night in the tunnels.

His voice was distant and he heard Robin and Erica too. 

“Dustin! It’s Steve!” Steve screamed but the yells were getting further away. Steve pushed his voice more. “Dustin! Dustin! I’m here! Robin! Erica! Please!”

Steve screamed their names for a long time. His screams eventually turned into sobs once he knew they were gone.

At some point some of the Russians came in to check to see if he was still there but Steve wasn’t really there. At least not mentally. He ignored them until they left.

Steve cried for, what seemed like, hours until he finally fell into unconsciousness.

————

Steve was woken up by some banging and then the door squeaking open. He didn’t bother looking up until he heard a frantic yell and some hurried footsteps coming towards the room.

He immediately looked at the group of people that came running in. 2 people wearing the Russian’s uniforms but there was something about both of them that was familiar.

“Oh my god, Hopper! Look at him!” Steve felt a weight being lifted and threw off his chest at the voice. It was Joyce and Hopper. They had found him. 

Hopper kneeled next to him and put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him.

“Kid? You with us?” Hopper’s gruff voice asked. 

“Yeah,” Steve breathed out. “I’m here.”

Hopper visibly relaxed and looked at Joyce before he looked back at Steve.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Other than your face?” 

“Ribs.” Steve responded in a small gasp. 

“Alright kid, I’m gonna help you sit up. Joyce can get your restraints off,” As Hopper said that he yanked a small knife out of his boot and handed it to Joyce, who was somewhere behind Steve. “Then I’m gonna get you and we’re gonna go close the gate and get you home.”

Steve nodded numbly as Joyce began to cut away the restraints around his wrist. His eyes flew open as they fell away and he pulled his hands toward his chest but he was too late. Joyce had seen.

“Steve, what is that?” Joyce very well knew what the 3 numbers meant. Steve didn’t respond; he just kept his head tucked into his chest, not meeting either of the adult’s eyes.

Hopper must’ve seen as well from the way his eyes widened in shock as he helped Steve up into a sitting position.

“You don’t have to talk now, kid but we’ve gotta talk about this when you’re ready.” Hopper said as Steve held his tattooed wrist with his hand. The 007 permanently burned into his skin, holding him to the lab. 

“Chief? You there? Bald Eagle is really to land.” The 3 of them jumped as Murray spoke through the radio. Hopper huffed and picked up the radio.

“Yeah, I’m here. We’ve got him and the keys and we’re ready to get to close that goddamn gate.” Hopper said before he put the radio back and then looked back at Steve.

“Ready to go?” Steve nodded and Hopper grabbed his arms and pulled him onto his feet and they set off through the Russian Base.

————

Hopper and Joyce had the keys in the places and were counting down. Steve stood in the back as he watched them.

“3…” Joyce said carefully and Steve heard something behind him. It was quiet, so quiet that he barely heard it. 

“2…” Steve swore he heard it again so he tilted his head to the side and listened carefully. Then he felt something behind him and his breathing picked up.

“1…” Right as Steve was about to turn around someone slammed him into a wall and a hand wrapped around his throat, squeezing tightly. Steve grabbed at his throat and gasped for air.

He managed to get a good look at the man. He looked like the terminator. He gasped a few more times but he managed to get out a “help” but his vision began to turn black on the edges. His lungs screamed for air as he went longer with no oxygen.

Finally Hopper managed to get the guy’s arm away from Steve's neck. He sunk down to the wall he was pushed up against as he pulled air into his deprived lungs.

Once his vision finally cleared up he looked around and saw Joyce pulling herself up using a table, Hopper and the attacker weren’t anywhere in sight. Steve scrambled into his shaky legs and looked down near the laser and he saw Hopper and the guy fighting. 

Hopper was losing. Steve needed to do something to help. He decided his last resort was his powers. Steve ran to the door and pulled it open and scrambled down the stairs, ignoring Joyce’s protests.

Steve’s ears blocked out everything as he ran towards the fight. The guy had Hopper’s head dangerously close to the spinning blades of the laser. There was nothing Steve could do physically without putting Hopper in danger.

Steve took a quick deep breath before he focused all his energy on holding the guy still. The guy immediately froze and Steve could see the confusion on his face as he looked at his body, trying to figure out why he couldn’t move.

The bloody began to drip from Steve’s nose as he held the guy still, hoping Hopper would push him out of the way. The guy slowly started to break from his hold. He stared at Steve with a dangerously smile and a calm face as he slowly but surely moved, pushing Hopper’s head into the blades. Steve held an arm out to hold him, he circled the man as he held him still so his back was to the gate.

Steve broke his gaze from the man to give Hopper a nod to tell him to do something. He felt the energy quickly draining from his body, his breathing was starting to become labored and he slouched more as he held the man longer. 

Hopper finally reached up and grabbed the man’s jacket and Steve stopped holding him and Hopper yanked him into the spinning blades and it cut him up. As Steve released his hold on the man he fell to the side, where he grabbed onto the rail and held himself up weakly.

Hopper quickly shot out from under the laser and stood and helped Steve up and held him steady as Steve looked around with half lidded eyes. Hopper pulled Steve’s arm around his shoulder and kept him on his feet. The laser quickly began to lock up with the man’s chunks and it exploded with a bright laser that cut the 2 men off going back to Joyce.

Steve saw the look Hopper was giving Joyce and he couldn’t just let him give up like that. He straightened and held out an arm and tried to pull the laser apart but it kept moving and he couldn’t focus on one place but he kept trying even when Hopper began to pull Steve backwards. Blood poured from both his nostrils and started to come from his ears as well. Steve kept pushing trying to pull the laser wall apart.

He was so focused he didn’t realize him and Hopper were going through the gate as the laser exploded into bright heat. All he felt was heat as they went through the small crack of the gate. 

They made it through just as the gate closed tightly. Hopper and Steve both collapsed to the ground, panting. Steve just curled into himself as his exhaustion settled in, he felt detached from everything. He hadn’t used his powers since… well since he escaped the lab 5 years ago. His body wasn’t used to them.

He didn’t notice Hopper lightly shaking his shoulder. Steve blurily blinked at him, the darkness shading Hopper’s face. Steve really didn’t want to be conscious at the moment. Sleep was what he really wanted. His ears apparently weren’t working very well before but they slowly began to dip into reality.

“Kid? Come on you’ve gotta talk to me here. We’re in this together.” Hopper’s voice penetrated his brain harshly but he heard.

“Mhm?” Steve couldn’t muster the energy to respond with words but he at least could show he was listening.

“We’ve gotta find someplace for you to get some rest. Can you stand? Or do you need me to carry you?” Hopper asked gently but sternly. Knowing he needs to get through to Steve as soon as he possibly can. 

“‘M fine.” Was Steve’s response after a few moments of half lidded staring from his part. Hopper grabbed onto Steve’s arms and helped pull him to his feet.

As soon as Steve was standing he started to tip backwards. Hopper quickly grabbed Steve’s upper arms and kept him up.

“Alright, guess I’ll help you.” Hopper muttered to himself more than Steve, who seemed to have checked out of the conversation a while ago. 

Hopper slung Steve’s arm around his shoulders and he took in his surroundings. The vines and particles were the same from the last time he’d been in the Upside Down but it was the Russian Base. Hopper decided the best place to go would be to the room where him and Joyce had found Steve. 

Hopper began to half carry, half drag Steve through the base with Steve being a lot less helpful then he could’ve been. But Hopper really couldn’t blame the kid. He’d been tortured, nearly choked to unconscious, and he’d drained himself. The kid really deserved to sleep.

———

After 20 minutes of struggling with Steve, Hopper finally picked Steve up bridal style and carried him through the halls. It was easier, quicker and Steve could rest some more.

Not long after they arrived in the small room that Steve had been in earlier. Hopper leaned Steve up against a wall as he pulled his jacket off and lumped it up and placed it on the floor. He then laid Steve’s head on the makeshift pillow and let the kid sleep, the blood and gunk still all over his face. Just like El had looked after closing the gate, well minus the bruising.

After Steve was situated, Hopper pushed himself against a wall and took a deep breath as he let what had happened sink in. He was stuck with Steve Harrington, who had super powers and was torched in a lab for years and a Russian base, in the Upside Down. Hopper really hoped El was going to be okay, after all the shit she had been through this wasn’t something she should go through.

Steve groaned and shifted slightly before he settled back down into sleep again. Hopper was going to protect him at all costs. When this kid went out of his way, after getting choked, to save his life and push himself past his limits just to try and get them through a deadly laser beam. As soon as Hopper saw Steve step through the door and run towards him, he signed a mental pledge to keep the kid safe at all costs.

With that Hopper started to feel the effects of the day, he leaned his head into the wall behind him and tried to get a few minutes of sleep.

————

Steve was slowly pulled from unconsciousness hours later. His temples throbbed heavily and his head and ribs shot waves of pain with every movement. He squinted his eyes open, his thoughts felt heavy with the exhaustion that lingered deep in his bones but he pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked around. 

Hopper was looking at him, with concerned eyes, right next to him. They both were sitting in the small room he’d been locked in earlier but before he could panic he knew they weren’t locked in there from the vines that crept along the walls.  
Steve slowly backed himself up so he was leaning against the wall next to Hopper. Steve took a few calming breaths and tried to keep the uprising of memories from the tunnels and Dustin’s screams away.

Neither of them talked for a while, they sat in an uncomfortable silence. Hopper was the first to break the silence.

“You wanna talk about anything? Wanna try to get some of the gunk off of your face?” Hopper asked and Steve shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Sure to what?”

“Both, I dunno.” Steve shrugged again and Hopper nodded before he leaned forward and grabbed the jacket that had been bunched up and handed it to Steve. He took it and slipped it on over his sailors uniform quietly.

Hopper then tore some of his sleeve off and gave that to Steve to wipe some of the blood off of his face. He lightly wiped most of the dried blood off until his face was clean, except for a few spots.

“You wanna sleep before we start talking?” Hopper asked and Steve shook his head.

“Let’s just get it over with already.” Steve said shaking before he closed his eyes and started.

“My dad and Brenner were… close in business apparently. So when my dad found out my mom was pregnant with me, he immediately told Brenner. So my dad got my mom to start the drug trials, basically a week after he found out, at the lab. My mom tried to quit but my dad didn’t let her. Fast forward 9 months, she had me but they told her it was a miscarriage. Brenner had me in the lab for 13 years and then I escaped. Owens found me and set me up with a fake name, a house to live in, a supply of money that would come in until I was 18, school papers, fake medical history, everything. He taught me how to talk and shit and once I hit 14 and high school started he shipped me back here.” Steve said and Hopper listened intently to the sad story. “And it’s history from there.”

Hopper processed the new information from Steve until an idea came to his mind.

“What about your mom?” Steve’s face fell from its already sad expression.

“I have her name, address, and phone number. Just haven’t had the guts to call her.” Steve shivered as he finished.

“So what exactly can you do?” Hopper asked, trying a new subject.

“Owens says it Gravity manipulation. Just a different way of saying telekinesis basically. I can hear people’s conversations without actually being there, like I close my eyes and I’m in this black room and if I focus on someone I can hear what their conversation is.” Steve said casually, like it was a normal conversation. Hopper nodded, wrapping his mind around everything.

Hopper looked up when he heard a stifled sob coming from Steve. Steve had his head rested on his knees and his shoulders shook. Hopper awkwardly wrapped his arm around Steve’s shoulders.

“It’s… it’s just I’ve never told anyone-“ Steve choked out before Hopper pulled Steve toward him in a side hug.

“It’s alright, kid. I’m glad you told me.” Hopper said gently and Steve just hugged him tightly in a full hug. Hopper hugged him back and they stayed like that for a while until Steve’s sobs died down and he stilled. So still Hopper was sure he had fallen asleep until he readjusted himself in the hug.

“Why don’t you get some more sleep? I can keep watch.” Hopper said and Steve looked at him and started to protest but Hopper stopped him before he could say anything. “You're exhausted, alright. Trust me when I say you need rest, those powers really do drain you. I’ll get some sleep later. Just get some sleep.” 

Steve gave Hopper an unreadable look before he closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall they were leaning on.

Hopper needed this time to process what the hell he’d just heard.

————

They stayed in the room for what must’ve been a few days. They slept and Steve practiced his powers just to the point of him doing something but not enough to make his nose bleed.

Now both Hopper and Steve sat on the floor in silence. Hopper felt the affects of not having water and water for so long, and when he asked Steve why he didn’t seem to be affected by the lack of supplies. Steve had said whenever he would panic or get scared he would not allow himself to eat or drink water like Brenner had done. They stopped talking after that.

On the 3rd day, Steve woke up again a few hours after he’d last woken up. He felt slightly less exhausted. His eye and nose still throbbed painfully and his temples pulsed but he was definitely feeling more mobile.

He finally blinked his eyes open and looked to the side and saw Hopper, asleep sitting next to him. He still couldn’t believe he had told Hop about the lab. Steve has gone 5 years without telling anyone, without anyone finding out. 

The closest he’d come to using his powers was last year, when the demodogs were charging him and Dustin. He was gonna do everything to help save that kid but he didn’t need to because El was closing the gate. Steve was mostly relieved that El didn’t remember him. He remembered when she walked through the door of the Byers and his terror spiked through the roof. 

He’d never met her outside the lab until then. Brenner had let Steve see El when she was little but once she turned 1, he never saw her again until that night. She had protected them and now it was Steve’s turn to protect Hopper, her dad.

If Steve was going to protect Hopper he would need to work on his powers. Practice them more. The idea terrified him, using his powers again but he needed to. If he was going to keep Hopper safe. 

He looked around the room again carefully, trying to find something he could use to practice lifting. The room was bare so Steve took to looking on himself for items. His watch and that was about it.

Steve shrugged and unclipped his watch and placed it on the ground a few feet in front of him. He took a deep breath like he always did before he focused on the gravity around the watch and pulled it upward. The watch began to hover above the ground a few inches before it went higher and then Steve held it there for a few minutes. Then he decided to have some fun.

He made the watch spin around in a loop and fly around the room like a plane. Steve smiled as he watched his watch fly. The blood began to trickle slowly from his nose as he kept using his powers.

After about 15 minutes of using his powers on his watch, Steve felt his energy start to be sapped from his body. So he eased the watch onto his lap and he finally stopped manipulating the gravity around it so the watch went limp. Steve clipped his watch back onto his wrist and eased into the wall behind him.

Steve became eerily aware of the blood on his face so he wiped it away with the sleeve of the jacket Hopper had given him. He looked down at the dark stain of blood on the sleeve when something hit him. Blood. 

There was fresh blood. The damn monster in this place was attracted to blood and he was bleeding fresh blood.

Steve quickly scrambled to his knees and grabbed Hopper’s shoulder. Hopper jerked awake and looked at Steve with alarmed eyes.

“It’s coming.” Steve hissed out quietly. “We’ve gotta go!”

Steve urgently grabbed onto Hopper’s arm and started to pull him up. Hopper quickly stood up as did Steve. Hop looked at him.

“Steve, what’s going on? What’s coming?” 

“The monster. It's attracted to blood.” Steve whispered as he held up his sleeve with the fresh blood on it and pointed to the stain. Hopper’s eyes widened but both their attention was quickly pulled to the noises that seemed to be coming from the hallway but they sounded far away.

Steve immediately froze as did Hopper before he grabbed Steve’s arm and pulled him through the doorway and down the hall.

They ran through the base until they had to stop to catch their breath. The alarm lights started to flicker like crazy in their dulled light. Steve knew exactly where they were. They were where the laser was. Where the fight had happened. Steve jumped when he heard the monster, it sounded like it was just down the hall from them. Steve and Hopper’s chests were both heaving. 

Steve’s breath hitches quicker as he saw the monster turn the corner. It was gray, way too tall, the sharp bones almost breaking through the paper like skin, the sticky goop covering it, the no face.

Steve wanted to run, run away from the terrifying sounds but he couldn’t. He was frozen. Hopper grabbed onto Steve’s shoulder and turned him to look in his eyes. Steve could see the pure terror in his eyes.

“Can you open the gate?” Hopper asked as he kept looking between Steve and the monster just a short distance away. When Steve didn’t respond Hopper gave his shoulders a shake.

“Kid, can you open the gate? Just enough so we could get out?” Hopper asked again and this time Steve nodded.

Steve took a shuddering breath and ran towards the edge of the platform. He took a deep breath and held his arm out towards the wall and pushed. He pushed all his energy into the slit in the universe. He pulled it apart, he used everything he had to yank on the still healing pieces of the universe.

He didn’t know how or where Hopper got a gun but he had one and he was shooting the Demogorgon. It wasn’t stopping but it was slowly slowing down. Steve’s ears were ringing loudly but he distantly heard the gunshots.

He felt the blood stream from his nostrils and ears as he ripped the rift in the universe more open.

Steve was finally able to see the orangish red glow from the rift that was becoming more visible. Steve couldn’t hear anything but the sounds of everything and nothing. 

After what seemed like hours of pulling the rift open something came through the rift. It was a group of people in hazmat suits with large guns and a giant cage.

Steve started to sag forward as he lifted both his arms up and kept holding the rift open, his eyes dropping down as his energy dissipated. He didn’t know what the hell was happening with the Demogorgon but he’s guessing the cage had something to do with it.

Blood was dripping from his nose, it was spread along his mouth creases as cringed from the physical stress his body was under. Blood was running down the side of his jaw and neck from his ears as well. 

There was heat all over his body, from the gate. It burned as he held it open. Breathing felt like a torturous task he had to accomplish rather than a normal bodily function. His breaths were just shallow pants as his chest heaved with each gasp.

Then all the adrenaline suddenly was gone from his body and his knees gave out from underneath him. Steve felt someone kneel beside him and cradle his head in their lap. His ears were still ringing but he blurrily opened his eyes and saw someone who would normally send waves of terror and dread going through him but in his exhausted state nothing would baffle him.

It was Brenner.

Steve willed his ears to actually work but the ringing didn’t stop, just dulled slightly. Steve squinted his eyes and looked around, he saw Hopper, mouth moving in what could only be screams as he stared at Steve and tried to jerk away from the people who were pulling him away. Next the Demogorgon, which was locked in a cage, was being pulled through the gate. 

Steve then blinked back at Brenner, who had the same smile on his face as he looked at Steve. Finally, finally his ears broke the barrier and he heard a few words from Brennner before he fell into the black abyss.

“Papa is glad to have you back, Seven. You are sick but I will help you. You’ll be alright, it’s okay. You’ll be alright, Papa will make you better.”


	2. Seven...No Steve. I'm Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is back in Brenner's control again. They took the one thing that Steve was proud off. The one thing that grounded him to his life. His normal life.
> 
> Hopper is forced to make a difficult desision.

The first thing Steve noticed when he woke up was the smell. It smelled like a doctors office, like… oh. Steve tried to pry his eyes open but they didn’t seem to want to open up so Steve relied on his ears. 

He heard people shuffling around and muffled voices. Then a blindingly bright light shone into Steve’s eyes. He slammed them shut as stars danced behind his lids. Steve groaned but pried his eyes open and saw 2 men wearing white jackets standing over him.

His breath caught in his throat as the memories from the lab came flooding back. Steve jerked away from then and tried to push himself up when he felt restraints over his wrists and ankles. He was in a hospital gown and his legs and arms had been stripped of any hair that had once grown on them. It terrified Steve more than anything to feel like this.

Steve jerked his head, looking in all directions. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly but it was something from Hawkins. For Hopper. Then he felt a hand on the top of his head, gently massaging his hair. Steve craned his head upward to see who it was.

Brenner stood there, looking as menacing as he did the last time Steve had seen him. Steve let out a choked groan and tried to pull away from the man.

“Sh, Seven. You’re alright. That man you were with is safe. We just need to do one thing before we continue our progress from where we left off.” Brenner said as he looked off to the side and nodded from someone to come over. Then he looked back at Steve. “We are only doing this incase we need to use… other means of getting you to help.”

Then Steve saw it. A hair razor. They were going to take away one of the only things that grounded Steve too his life.

“No.” Steve gritted out as he tried to squirm away from Brenner and the other man. 

“Seven. We would love for you to work willingly with us, now stay still.” Brenner said, sounding almost like he was scolding a child. It hurt Steve to hear his voice. It made tears spill from his eyes and he froze. Letting the man come forward.

Steve had to close his eyes when they did it. He felt the strands of hair being shaved off his head, leaving nothing but think brown layer of hair. Tears streamed down his face as they shaved his head. He wasn’t Steve. Steve had perfectly quaffed hair, threw huge parties, wasn’t a science experiment. Seven had a shaven head, was quiet, couldn’t be around loud noises.

The only thing that tied him to his old life was gone. Laying on the floor in clumps. He wasn’t Steve, he was Seven.

Seven. Steve. Seven. Steven. Seven.

Then there was a sharp pick in his neck and his senses drifted away and he floated in the black abyss of unconsiousness with only one word ringing through his mind and a tear fell from his eye.

Seven.  
__________

Sev- no Steve, woke up again in the dark void. He knew it was the void because of the wetness on his feet. He looked around being reminded of everything he had tried to escape from 5 years ago. He looked around the black void before he started walking forward. Thinking of Hopper. Focusing on Hopper. 

After a while of focusing he finally heard it. A voice.

“Whaddya want?” It was Hopper. Most definitely Hopper. Steve kept listening, there was another presence near Hopper he could tell. He just didn’t know who.

“I need something that is quiet simple really.” Brenner. Steve hoped that whatever he was going to say to Hopper he wouldn’t do. No matter how much pain it caused Steve.

Hopper gave a scoff in response. “Oh yeah? What’s that? Want me to help you kidnap more kids so you can turn them into little science experiments?” Those words sent a pang of betrayal though Steve. 

Did Hopper really think of him as a science experiment? A lab rat?

“I need your cooperation.” Brenner just ignored Hopper’s comment and continued in his agonizingly calm voice. “As you know, subject 007 has been gone for quiet sometime. He has overused his powers. He’ll be scared when he wakes up again. Subject Seven works better when he has something, a goal per say, in front of his face. He’ll work towards it.”

Steve really hoped that this didn’t go to where he thought it was going.

“Fear is something that is quite a vital variable to performing such a task as we will be asking of Seven. Stress is better. It forces him to push harder, to use his gifts more.Having someone he… lets say cares about on the line, would put a great deal of stress on him.”

No. Not Hopper, don’t hurt Hopper. Tears began to make their way down Steve’s checks, the hatred he felt towards Brenner was burning him alive.

“If Seven is to succeed in his tests, we need someone. Someone he cares about to be there to praise him, show him support as he succeeds. Someone to watch as he gets punished for his failures.” Brenner paused. Steve knew the words were coming but he didn’t want to hear them. “And that person… is you.”

Steve suddenly knew that Hopper was watching him. He was seeing him. 

He pulled himself out of the void and snapped his eyes open. Hopper was staring at him from behind a glass window, his face was a mixture of pity, sadness, and the slightest hint of fear. Brenner was watching Hopper from across a table.

Steve kept his eyes locked on Hopper’s, not breaking the contact. Then Brenner was saying something, trying to get Hopper to agree. Steve knew Hopper wouldn’t be able to hear him so he mouth a single word. A word that would hopefully make Hopper chose the right decision.

_______

Hopper sat in a small cell. The Russian guards had given him a black uniform to wear and they led him through a long hallway to a room with a table and 3 chairs. There was a window but it was covered by a sheet. Hopper had been told to sit in a chair and he left.

Now Hopper sat in the room waiting. It’d been a few minutes but he’d expected that. Then the door swung open and Dr. Martin Brenner stepped in. Hopper’s face tightened at seeing the man. Brenner had his hands behind his back as he stood by the door.

“Whaddya want?” Hopper mumbled as he stared at the man.

“I need something that is quiet simple really.” Brenner spoke calmly as he walked forward towards the table. Hopper scoffed.

“Oh yeah? What’s that? Want me to help you kidnap more kids so you can turn them into little science experiments?”

“I need your cooperation.” Brenner said and he pulled the other chair out and sat down, ignoring Hopper’s crud remark. He looked Hopper in the eye with a calmness a man who’d done what he had done should never posses. “As you know, subject 007 has been gone for quiet sometime. He has overused his powers. He’ll be scared when he wakes up again. Subject Seven works better when he has something, a goal per say, in front of his face. He’ll work towards it.”

Brenner leaned forward so he looked even deepering into Hopper’s eyes. “Fear is something that is quite a vital variable to performing such a task as we will be asking of Seven. Stress is better. It forces him to push harder, to use his gifts more.”

Hopper stayed silent. “Having someone he… lets say cares about on the line, would put a great deal of stress on him.” As Brenner said that he reached over and pulled the sheet down. Hopper looked through the window and his heart sank deep into his stomach.

Steve was almost unrecognizable.

He was curled up on a table, his head shaven. He was shaking and tears trails were clear on his face, his nose had fresh blood dripping down the side of his face. Steve was wearing a thin hospital gown and he twitched in his unconscious state. 

“If Seven is to succeed in his tests, we need someone. Someone he cares about to be there to praise him, show him support as he succeeds. Someone to watch as he gets punished for his failures.” Brenner said and Hopper’s jaw clenched tightly. “And that person… is you.”

As Brenner said that Steve’s eyes snapped open and he looked directly at Hopper. Hopper’s heart fluttered as Steve looked into his eyes. Hopper’s blue eyes meeting the desperate brown orbs. Steve’s eyes were filled with fear and pain and that hurt Hopper to see on a kid.

“If you do not take out offer, Jim.” Brenner said and it made Hopper look at the man with hatred. “If you do not take out offer, we will have to use other means to encouraging him.”

Hopper looked back at Steve, who was still staring. His brown eyes looking at him and the message was clear when he mouth 1 words.

“Dont.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi peeps! So I was able to write this chapter a lot quicker than I thought I would be able too😂 SO here it is! I hope you like it! My county is now a yellow in COVID cases so my school could go to remote and if I do hopefully I'll be able to write more🤞 I mean I don't want to go remote but I might so one upside to that would be being able to write! Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoy the coming chapters, the uploading will probaly be really erratic and random so I'm sorry about that. I'm also sorry for any mistakes I missed well editing!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Stay safe and healthy!  
> Love you all <3  
> -Emma


	3. Saying Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve sees Hopper, both in person and in his head. He pays a visit to Dustin as well

Steve was placed in a small room after he saw Hopper. He really hoped Hopper didn’t do what Brenner wanted. Steve knew what was to come and he did not want Hopper to be the face of that. 

Steve used his wrist to wipe some of the blood from under his nose and on the side of his face. He ended up dragging himself from his place on the floor to the corner of the room and lean his head on the wall behind him as he pulled his hospital gown further over his knees and curl into himself.

God, he really hoped Hopper didn’t agree to being the person to encourage him. Steve didn’t care if he died, he would die knowing that Hopper was the same person he’d grown closer too over the past years.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the door unlock and was pulled open. He saw someone he was relieved to see.

Hopper.

Hopper seemed to be happy to see Steve too. Steve shakily pushed himself up off the floor and staggered towards Hopper and hugged him tightly. Hopper hugged him back as a Russian guard closed the door and locked it. 

“Are you helping him?” Steve asked into Hopper’s shoulder, his voice muffled.

“I did what you asked. They’re letting me say goodbye.” Hopper said as he held the back of Steve’s shaved head. Steve sucked in a shuttering breath, knowing he might never see Hopper again.

There was a knock on the door and a someone yelled through the door. “1 more minute.”

Steve’s breathing picked up and his heart began to pound in his chest and he held Hopper tighter. Fear gripped his chest and coiled around his throat, suffocating him. He was terrified to not be able to have someone be with him. There to ground him. Hopper grabbed Steve’s shoulders and pull him away from Hopper. He held onto Steve’s shoulders and their eyes locked.

“You’re gonna be alright, kid. You can visit me every night in that head of yours, I’ll talk to you. If I can’t be there physically, I’ll be there mentally. I swear it, kid.” Hopper said sternly as Steve began to shake from fear. Then Hopper pulled him back into a tight hug as the door unlocked and it creaked open. Tears broke out of the corners of Steve’s eyes as he saw the guards walk into the room, towards Hopper.

“I’ll get you out. You’ll be alright.” Hopper whispered into Steve’s ear as the guard grabbed Hopper’s shoulder and started pulling him back. As Hopper was broken away from Steve, a guard pushed Steve away from him.

“Hopper!” Steve yelled as Hopper was pull from the room. “Hopper!”

Steve started walking towards the door but then the guard who pushed him away walked out of the room and slammed the door closed in his face. Steve didn’t realize that tears were pouring from his eyes and the building of a sob.

Steve stumbled away from the door and into the corner he was sitting in before and slid down the wall and a painful sob erupted from his chest. He was alone. Stuck with the psychopaths from the lab. He was going to be a lab rat again. Everyone he trusted was gone.

____________

Steve didn’t know if minutes or hours had passed since he’d said goodbye to Hopper. But after a while, Steve began to calm down and he just stayed curled in the corner. He only looked up when the monster he’d been dreading to see came through the door.

“Hello, Seven. It is good to have you back with me.” Brenner said with a annoying calmness. Steve only shot him a glare. “I will be bringing you to your permanent sleeping quarters, for when you behave, and tomorrow we will being your trials.”

Steve looked up at him with a softer look. “Will I ever see Hopper again?”

Brenner gave a sympathetic look. It was grotesque to see it on his face. Steve shook his head violently.

“I’m not doing anything until you swear to me that he will be safe and you won’t hurt him. You can hurt me and tourcure me but I will never do anything unless he is taken care of and safe.” Steve said with as much menic as he could muster. Steve knew that Brenner was a monster but one thing he knew from 13 years of being stuck with him was that if he swore on something, he would keep it.

Dr. Brenner pulled in a sigh before standing up and then gave one nod. “Alright. The chief will be kept healthy and safe as long as your cooperate with us. Deal, Seven?”

Steve drew in a deep breath and nodded. “Deal.”

______________

Brenner had deposited Steve in a small room with a bed in the corner. There wasn’t any windows but there was a vent in the left corner of the ceiling. The bed had a thin blanket over top and no pillow. 

Steve sat on the bed with his legs crossed underneath him. Dr. Brenner had brought him here a little over an hour ago and they hadn’t come back. Steve finally decided to test his powers again, he looked at the blanket and used his hands to tare a think strip of fabric off.

He threw it across the room and let it fall in front of the door before he focused on the surrounding energy around the cloth and lifted it off the ground easily. He formed a heart with the cloth as it floated in the air and a bunch of shapes. He made it spin around in a spiral before he floated it towards him and laid it on his lap.

Steve wiped his nose when he felt the small trickle of blood. Any happiness he had felt well forming the shapes had vanished. He felt the lightness of his bare head and it reminded him that he wasn’t Steve anymore. Or Steve was going to be gone in the coming days of the experiments.

His head jerked towards the door as it was unlocked and it swung open. A lean and pasty guy, wearing the Russian guard uniform walked in holding a small plate. When the guy saw Steve he gave, what Steve guessed was, a smile but it turned into a grimace as he set the plate down on the bed next to Steve.

“I’m sorry for what’s happening to you.” The guard whispered. Steve was surprised that the guy didn’t have a Russian accent, it was American. 

Steve didn’t show any acknowledgement towards the man as he walked by him and left, locking the door as he left. Steve looked at the plate and cringed slightly at what was on it. Some mashed brown stuff and a small glass of water.  
He sighed but choked down the bland tasting slop and took tentative sips of water before he laid down on the bed and curled up and tried to sleep. Steve would need as much sleep as he could get for tomorrow. Even if Brenner knew how long it had been since he’d used his powers, he wouldn’t go easy on him. But there was something else he needed to do first.

Finally, after a long while Steve drifted into the darkness of the void.

________

Steve opened his eyes and saw the dark around him, the water on his feet. He felt the rising panic is his chest. Steve took a few calming breaths before he focused on finding Hopper. Hopper had promised to be there with Steve mentally.

It took Steve a while before he heard Hopper.

“Kid?” His voice echoed through the darkness but it was there. “Kid? You there?”

Yes, Steve wanted to say but he knew Hopper wouldn’t hear him.

“They’ve put me in a cell. Brenner told me what you did and, shit kid. You should never have said that but you’re gonna be okay. I’ll see you again. I’ll get you out and you’ll be back with Dustin and the kids. Wether you like it or not you’re staying with me and El.” Hopper gave a small, loving laugh when he mentioned Eleven. Steve felt warm tears start falling down his cheeks.

“You never seem to know it, Steve but the kids love you. El constantly asked for you to come by the cabin. We all love you. When those bastards are doing whatever they’re gonna do to you, think of the kids. Think of Dustin.” Hopper’s voice began to drift away from Steve as his attention was pulled in a new direction towards another voice.

“-st miss him so much.”

“I miss him too, kid.” Steve knew it was Dustin and Robin. Hopper’s voice was gone by now and Robin and Dustin’s voice had his full attention. Robin sighed loudly.

“I’ve gotta go. My parents want me home now. You can always talk to me… or him. It helps me everyday.” Robin said and Steve knew that she left a few moments later and he only felt Dustin’s presence.

“Guess I’ll try it.” Dustin muttered.

“Steve if you can hear me…” Dustin’s voice was already shaky with emotion. “I really miss you. I’m sorry we didn’t find you. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder. It’s all my fault,” Dustin had clearly started crying at this point. “I’m a pretty shitty brother. You needed me and I wasn’t there and now you and Hopper are gone and its all my goddamn fault.”

Steve’s chest was lurching with held in sobs as he listened to Dustin’s words. Steve fell to his knees and hugged his chest tightly.

“No, it wasn’t you’re fault Dustin. I should’ve told you about… everything.” 

Suddenly Dustin stopped crying and he was holding his breath. Steve’s eyes widened at the possibility. Did Dustin hear him?

“...Steve?”

“Dustin. I’m here.” Steve said as he started to cry again. Then Dustin’s presence was gone and Steve was alone again in the blackness of the void.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi peeps! Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter and are excited for the coming chapters! btw I have a tumblar and you all can leave me some prompts you want me to write about, its: embanxd and you can comment some prompts if you want. Thank you for all the sweet commens you've been leaving me, half of them make me cry! You all are to freaking nice! Anyways I hope you liked this chapter and sorry for any mistakes I missed well editing!  
> Thanks you for all the comments!  
> Stay safe and healthy!  
> Love you all <3  
> -Emma


	4. She Needed Him and He Wasn't There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Brenner starts Number Seven's exspirements  
> Steve visits Robin  
> Hopper has a plan

Steve managed to get a few hours of sleep before he heard the familiar sound of the door clicking open. Steve quickly shot onto his feet as he watched a guard come in first and Brenner walking in afterwards, his normal deadpan look on his face.

“Alright, Seven. Let’s get started. Shall we?” Brenner motioned for the door and Steve had to pushed down all the anxiety and panic that filled him as he stood up and slowly walked towards Brenner. Steve’s were shaking so much he had to ball them into fists.

Once Steve was standing next to Brenner, he put a hand on Steve’s back, which caused a violent shiver to run down his spine. Brenner then put the slightest bit of force to lead Steve out of the room, the guard fallowing behind them.

They walked through the base until they arrived at a door. The guard pulled out his band of keys and began finding the correct key. Brenner kept his hand on Steve’ back the whole time, it caused memories from the lab to resurface. 

Steve wondered what the hell they were going to be doing to him in the room. He wondered what they needed him for, if Hopper was safe. He would need to check in on the Party and Hopper as soon as he could.

Suddenly, the door had been pulled open and the two men were waiting for the teenager to go through. Steve clenched his jaw before he took the hesitant steps into the room, Dr. Brenner fallowing him.

The room was small with a single table and 2 chairs. A 10 pound weight sat in the middle of the table, staring dauntingly at Steve as he stepped into the room. Dr. Brenner stepped past him as the door sealed shut behind him, locking them in the room.

Brenner moved slowly towards the table and took one of the seats and sat down. Steve stayed glued to his spot.

“Come, Seven. Take a seat.” Steve was frozen in place. Brenner tilted his head down and looked at Steve.

“Seven, come and sit down. We need to get started.” Steve didn’t move.

“This will not be a short day and you will only make it longer for yourself with defiance, Seven.” When Steve didn’t move again, Brenner sighed.

“I would hate for this disobedience to cause harm to the chief.” Brenner said and Steve’s breath left him as tears sprang into his eyes at the mere mention of Hopper. Steve slowly moved forward and took his place in the chair. 

Brenner nodded with the ghost of a smile. “Very well, Seven. Now I need you to lift this with your powers and hold it as long as you can, alright?”

Steve closed his eyes and nodded before he opened them and, with his brows furrowed together, he manipulated the gravity around the weight and pulled it into the air and held it.

Steve held the weight for 30 minutes before he couldn’t anymore. The weight dropped in sync with his head onto the table. Steve’s head gently landed on the table and he let out a breath as Brenner tutted.

“You held it for 2 hours last time, Seven. I must ask you to continue and at least make an attempt to pass that time.” Brenner said and Steve groaned mentally and stay down.

“Seven, continue.” Brenner said sternly and Steve already knew the threat that was coming so he lifted his head and pulled the weight up and held it up.

__________

Steve was forced to hold the weight up for 5 hours total. After he dropped it the latest time, he could feel the blood dripping down the side of his head and his nose. He didn’t have the energy to wipe his nose.

Steve just wanted Hopper to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. But that wouldn’t happen because Hopper had been taken away to be safe. Or Steve hoped he was safe. Hopper could be dead and Steve wouldn’t know. 

Steve didn’t notice when a guard came in and dragged him out of the room and down the hall. He didn’t notice when they dropped Steve on the floor in the middle of a room. He didn’t notice that the room was completely different from the room he had slept in. 

And he didn’t notice that there was another room. One that held someone who he really wished he could see. Steve slipped into the darkness of the void and all he wanted was to be done with all of this.

______

Steve’s eyes opened and he found himself sprawled on his back in the darkness of the void, the water making the hospital gown cling to his body uncomfortably. He closed his eyes again and willed himself to leave the void and go to sleep but something tugged at his gut to stay.

He sighed before he stood up on shaky legs and thought of someone comforting. The familiar hug of Hopper or the snarky remarks from Robin. 

Robin. 

He hadn’t checked on Robin.

Steve focused on what he remembered her voice to sound like. Her face. He focused on how comfortable he had felt around her well they had worked together. She and Dustin would’ve been the first two he would’ve told about the lab and his powers.

He shad started walking and he didn’t know when but he had. He felt the cool water against his bare feet. The silence of the void, waiting to be filled by a voice. Steve focused harder on Robin. On her voice.

“I’m sorry, Steve. I-I don’t know anymore, I can’t keep going.” Steve had never heard such brokenness in someone’s voice. Steve’s face fell as he listened. “Seeing the kids like that. Not seeing your dumbass everyday at work. It’s too much. Mrs. Byers said that I just need time but I don’t know.”

Steve felt tears rush into his eyes as he realized what Robin was implying. He had felt it himself for years and he still felt it but he had the kids. Robin….she needed him and he wasn’t there. That hurt the most.

“I didn’t realize how much you meant to me, dingus. I miss seeing your stupid hair and we’ll I guess if you’re listening then it wouldn’t hurt for you to know. I love girls, when Tammy Thompson would look at you and your stupid beagal and your stupid hair, it hurt more than anything. I wanted her to look at me. To see me but she couldn’t take her eyes off your goddamn face.”

Steve could hear the sobs building in Robin’s voice. Steve knew she was about to do something, he pulled any energy he could possibly muster to try and get through to her.

“Robin….I’m here. I love you, okay? Don’t do it. I’ll-I’ll get to you, just hold on.” Steve whispered. He heard Robin gasp.

“S-Steve?” Her voice strangled out.

“Yeah, I’m here, Rob.” Steve whispered out. Robin then let out the most gut wrenching sob but he could tell she had heard.

“I don’t know if that was a sign from god or whatever but if that was you, digus, please come back. Please.”

“I will, Rob. Hold on for me.”

________

“Hey, kid. I don’t know if you’re listening but Brenner came and talked to me. Be careful, okay? You can keep going. I’ll get you out, I just need to find you. If you could get them to let you have a day off and I could come and be with you. That would be enough time to figure everything out. Hang on, you’ve gotta do that get a day of you and me being together and we can get you out and back home. You can be safe and not have to worry about being come experiment. We can do this but you’ve gotta help me out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Walks in slowly and awkwardly* hey...how y'all doing?  
> Like I said. The updates will be irratic  
> Sorry it's been a minute since my last update. I had like zero motivation for the chapter so I'm sorry this took so long to get out. Thanks for reading though! I hope you liked this chapter and I hope you are healthy and safe where you are!   
> I hope you all are safe and healthy!  
> Love you all <3  
> -Emma

**Author's Note:**

> So... what do you think? It might be a minute until I update this story again because I have school, ballet and lyrical classes, and another story that has been going for a while so I'm sorry if these updates are a bit streched out. I'm also sorry for any spelling error or anything else I might've missed while editing.   
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Stay safe and healthy and be smart!  
> Love you all <3  
> -Emma


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